War Cabinet Minister Eisenkot accuses Netanyahu of failing Israel, calls for new elections

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Knesset Member Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF chief and current War Cabinet observer, has been increasingly critical of the Netanyahu government’s handling of the ongoing war with the terrorist organizations, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

During the annual Meir Dagan Conference at Netanya Academic College on Wednesday, former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot escalated his criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of failing to address Israel's security and economic issues and openly called for the replacement of the current coalition government.

“It is clear that this government needs to be replaced as soon as possible,” Eisenkot said. He proposed to hold national elections sometime between September and December in order “to build the nation.”

Eisenkot has paid a high personal price in the ongoing war against Hamas. In December, his son, Master Sergeant Gal Eisenkot, was killed in a battle with Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Just days later, Eisenkot’s nephew, Sergeant Maor Cohen Eisenkot, also lost his life in combat.

In January, the former IDF chief criticized Netanyahu for what he believes is an unrealistic goal of completely defeating Hamas.

“Whoever speaks of absolute defeat is not speaking the truth,” Eisenkot told Israel's Channel 12 news.

“That is why we should not tell stories…Today, the situation already in the Gaza Strip is such that the goals of the war have not yet been achieved,” he added at the time.

On Thursday, Eisenkot repeated his condemnation of the government’s officially stated war goals.

“Anyone who says that we’ll disband three battalions in Rafah and then bring back the hostages is sowing false illusions,” Eisenkot said, referring to Hamas’ remaining forces in Rafah, where many of the remaining Israeli hostages are believed to be held.

The former IDF chief argued that the mission to remove Hamas from Gaza and stabilize the enclave could take several years to complete.

“This is a much more complex event. The truth is that it will take three to five years to stabilize [Gaza], and then many more years to establish another regime,” Eisenkot argued.

While the main operations are expected to be completed within a few months, Israel's political and military leaders agree that the low-intensity fighting could last several years.

Eisenkot described the Hamas Oct. 7 massacre as “the greatest failure since the establishment of the state.” The former IDF chief has increasingly urged for a pause in the fighting in order to secure the release of the remaining hostages, which he described as “the highest moral imperative of the state, which failed in the defense of its citizens, and a paramount strategic obligation.”

Eisenkot added that it was paramount for the IDF to end “the intense phase of IDF military operations in Gaza” within the next few weeks “and then a date must be set for agreed elections. And if not — then everything must be done to bring elections as early as possible in a democratic way… It will be a choice between the approach of Itamar Ben Gvir, the most influential minister of the prime minister, and the approach of the current Knesset majority."

"To me, it’s clear that this government must be replaced, as soon as possible,” he concluded.